It's not quite the quest for the Holy Grail, but we're in pursuit this summer of the "Great American Symphony." And in many respects, our journey is just as important as our destination.

In conductor JoAnn Falletta's essay, which introduced our search, she pointed out that we inherited the symphony from the grand European tradition, then "expanded on that legacy on American soil." Still, American symphonies, even by popular composers, are heard less often than you might think.

So in this leg of our exploration, we examine a few fascinating homegrown symphonies with the help of five acclaimed musicians. We asked them to pick their favorite American symphonic works and tell us what makes them great.